Sins of the past
by Caranath
Summary: When Frank reluctantly tries to help an old friend, it backfires spectacularly.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n:** _At long last, my next story. did ya miss me?_ _Retirement, new job and moving from TX to FL took up most of the past several months. but everything is unpacked; I finally finished my marathon screening of 'The Dark Shadows' so have nothing preventing me from writing._

 **Sins of the Past**

Joe Hardy was relaxing on his back deck, enjoying a rare long weekend off from all responsibilities, work and personal, when he heard a car screech into his driveway, brakes squealing as the driver stomped on them. He then heard a car door slam so forcefully he winced in sympathy. The blond man had just forced himself to a standing position when the door leading from the kitchen flew open with a crash.

His brother Frank, normally the calm, placid, even keeled one, was so angry Joe swore he saw steam coming off his sibling's dark brown head. He stepped back in self defense even as he racked his brain to find something he may have said, done or not said or done to piss his brother off so much. He needn't have worried.

" _ **That BITCH**_ " Frank seethed so vehemently that Joe blinked in shock. Frank _never_ swore. And if there was ever a poster boy for Chivalry, he was it.

"Glo—ria?!" Joe half whispered, shocked and confused over what Frank's girlfriend may have done to warrant such a reaction ( _oh shit he didn't propose and she turned him down, did she?!"_ ) he thought in dismay.

That shook Frank out of his rage. "Wha?!" he stopped, looked at his brother and visibly tried to calm down by closing his eyes and taking a long, slow, deep breath. Once he stopped trembling with suppressed rage, he opened them. No longer chocolate daggers of impending doom; but there was still some strong emotion lurking beneath the surface. "No. Not Glo." he bit off each word precisely.

Frank threw himself into the Adirondack style chair so recently vacated by his sibling. He did so violently enough that it skidded back a few inches. "Well, then _who_?!" Joe pleaded, curiosity driving him insane. "and for that matter, _Why_?"

"She had the nerve to involve Mom in her little scheme." Frank was still furious.

"For the umpteenth time, Frank, _She WHO_?!" Joe was at the end of his rope waiting for his brother to just give him a straight answer. "and _what_ scheme?!" he threw his arms up in exasperation.

It was at that moment that Halloran decided to come out onto the deck, bearing a tray of lemonade and a bowl of freshly made guacamole along with some corn chips. She silently approached the small side table next to the chair Frank was in, placed it gingerly there and without a word turned around and went back inside. Joe stuck a foot behind the matching chair and dragged it back enough to match it's companion's new location and threw himself into it all while staring pointedly at his elder brother.

"Spit it out, Bro." Joe crossed his arms in front of him and leaned back.

"Mom called me about twenty minutes ago." Frank began, obviously still incensed.

"She does that. She's a mom. It's kinda their thing."

"She _ordered_ me to take on a new case." Frank glowered. Joe blinked.

"Mom doesn't ever get involved in the family Biz that way." he said, frowning.

"Apparently she does now." Frank replied acerbically. "She didn't even ask if we could do it, she just told me I was going to handle this personally."

"Again, I will ask, with the patience of a saint I might add, What. Are. We. Talking. About?" Joe tried to insert some levity but even he was getting fed up with the run around.

This time, something got through Frank's skull. He sighed, before continuing. "Mom told me that I was not only going to take on this new case, but that I personally would be the one handling every aspect of it, including the field work." he shot a look at his brother, "Also, that you were welcome to join in the fun."

"Gee, thanks ever so."

"Don't thank me until you hear who the client is."

"I have been waiting 15 minutes for you to come to the point. So who is it already?!"

"Callie."

Joe gaped. "Yer kidding. I _TOLD_ her, to her face even, that we were booked solid and couldn't take on any new cases even if you were willing, which I knew you were not."

"Yeah, well she went behind your back and cried to Mom."

"That _Bitch!_ "

"Told ya." Frank replied with a small, slightly smug smile.

"Well what the hell are you going to do? Not like you can openly defy Mom, can you?"

"It's a done deal, unfortunately. She has informed me that Callie will be in the office tomorrow morning at 8 and threatened to be there as well." Frank rolled his eyes. "So, despite my best efforts I have to at least see her and listen to what she has to say." he sighed. "Part of me wants to be petty and complain to Dad but I know that won't go over too well."

"Want me there too? I can glower and glare and generally be intimidating."

"Appreciate the offer but no. You and Joanna need to get moving on the Caruthers case. I will have to suffer alone. But I already intend to tell Martha to interrupt me in 20 minutes no matter what and I will regretfully be forced to cut the meeting short." Even Frank could be devious when it suited.

The spent another 45 minutes or so enjoying the afternoon and Halloran's guacamole. But eventually Frank stood up and said his goodbyes. "See you tomorrow." with a wave he headed out, being far less forceful to his car than when he arrived.

"Everything okay?" Halloran asked as she came out in the evening air.

"Well, let's put it this way, remember how I was bitching we had too much going on at the office?" Joe asked as he reached around his tiny wife and pulled her close for a kiss. "It just got worse." he sighed resignedly. "So any plans you may have had involving us being nekkid together will have to wait."

"Oh, darn." she pouted all mock upset. "And here I had designs on your person all weekend, too." she turned in the direction her brother in law had gone. "He needs to hurry up and propose already. Clearly he has no idea of the needs us married people have."

"Not his fault this time, babe. However you can blame Mom if you want."

"That's worse! She keeps dropping hints about grandchildren!" Halloran was shocked at the announcement that her mother in law had butted in on the case load.

"It is what it is. You don't go against Mom when she puts her foot down." Joe sighed. "Let's go inside. I need a beer." and he led the way back into the kitchen for the night.

 **A/n:** _short and sweet. don't get used to it._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n:** _When I first started writing this story, I had just begun binge watching the entire 5year run of Dark Shadows. The character Roger Collins, the stuck up,_ _sullen, snobbish and SOB Brother was played by an Actor named Louis Edmonds. the character had committed vehicular manslaughter while drunk and framed his best friend (also in the car and drunker) for the crime._

 **Chapter Two**

Three days later, Joe and Jo were headed back into the office having done all they could do on the Caruthers' case in the field. Now it was a matter of producing a report to turn in to the insurance company that had hired them to investigate the possible fraud. Martha was frowning in the general direction of Frank's closed office door.

"What's up, Aunty Em?" Joe asked as he dropped his armload of mail onto her desk before grabbing a cup of coffee.

"That woman is back." Martha sniffed in disapproval. "She just will not leave poor Mr Frank alone at all."

"No Worries. I got this." With a wink at both women, he sauntered over and twisted the handle on his brother's door. "So, Big Brother, have I got some news for y..." he stopped when he physically saw Callie's face. "Oh. Sorry. Didn't know you had company." but the grin on his face belied that comment and he looked steadily at the woman in the chair. For the first time he really looked, noting that if anything she seemed years older than any of their classmates. Her hair was decidedly greying, worry lines were all around her eyes and she looked rumpled. Callie Shaw, the Class Fashion Plate who always looked like she stepped out of a magazine even after her one or two brushes with kidnapping as the then girlfriend of the elder Hardy Boy. Joe's eyes narrowed at this realization and he flicked a glance over to his brother. Someone had come down in the world.

"Callie was just leaving, Joe. Weren't you?" he returned a steady gaze on his erstwhile client. "I will forward everything to your lawyer, including the bill. "I'm sorry I couldn't do what you wanted me to do."

Callie sniffled and choked back a sob. "We don't have one."

Upon hearing that, Frank reached in to his desk and pulled out a business card. "Old friend of the family. Tell him I sent you and he will do what he can. But I have to warn you, it won't be much. Not even Carson can work miracles in the Justice System." He stepped around and extended a hand to the now openly weeping woman. "I wish I was wrong, Cal. Honestly. But the facts don't lie." He shrugged as he led her to the outside door and helped her put her coat on. She left without another word, although her sobs still punctuated the air.

Frank, sighed as he turned around and grabbed his own coffee, emptying the pot. "Sometimes, I hate this job, Joe."

"I'll bite. What was it all about?" Joe asked, filching the last donut out of the box and grimacing when he realized it was the coconut one.

"Her husband." Frank spread his arms in a 'what can you do' gesture and headed back to his office.

"Are you telling me that Mom made you follow the guy around so you could catch him cheating on Callie with a hooker?!" Joe gasped. It seemed so.. tawdry.

"Not a hooker."

"Soccer Mom?" Joe tried to inject some levity.

"Wish it was a simple case of cheating, Little Brother. Then she could divorce the bastard, sue him for oodles of child support and take a cruise to Bermuda on the alimony." Frank shook his head. "Way worse. Callie wanted me to prove her husband was being framed for murder."

"And you couldn't prove he didn't do it."

"I proved he did do it, with better evidence than the DA had which was all circumstantial." Frank sighed again as he fell into his chair. "With what the DA originally had, he was probably looking at getting away with a slap on the wrist and a warning. Now, not so much. The DA is going to push the death penalty."

Joe whistled. "Wow. So who did he kill?"

"A family of 4 and an older couple ended up with serious injuries. He tried to claim his car had been stolen out of the bar parking lot by somebody he worked with who had it in for him. Long story short, I proved he not only drove drunk, after the accident he left the scene deliberately trying to get rid of the car and blame the co worker." Frank shook his head. "I actually feel sorry for Callie. She has 3 kids she has to explain to that their lives are over as they knew it."

"Brutal. No wonder she looked like hell." Joe commented, a little chagrined that he had been less than charitable earlier.

"Tell me about it. I owe Mom an apology. If I had just swallowed my pride and listened to Callie the first time..." he broke off as Joe shook his head.

"Wouldn't have changed the outcome, Bro."

"Point. But I still owe Mom an apology for resenting being told I should be a gentleman in the first place."

"Just be grateful it wasn't Aunt Gertrude." at that comment, Frank laughed ruefully before heading back into his office to make the phone call to his mother.

The brothers settled back in to a routine. The Caruthers case was wrapped up and by some miracle their services were not in such great demand any more that everyone could afford to slow down a little. Joe continued to tease Frank, very subtly, about the lack of a proposal to Gloria, and Frank, not quite so subtly kept getting in his own digs about nieces and nephews. Several weeks went by. Once or twice Frank found an article on line that referenced the murder trial of one Louis Edmonds of Boston Massachusetts and he skimmed over them not really reading or filing away the information.

Halloran and Gloria spent far too many weekends in each others' company to be up to anything good whatsoever. A few times both Chet and Phil's wives were around as well. Frank found the apartment he shared with his girlfriend littered with pamphlets and magazines that all had a decidedly matrimonial theme to them. He was getting to the point he was desperate enough to ask his brother for help making the moment exactly as perfect as he wanted.

In fact, he was on his way over to his brother's house when his cell phone rang.

" _Frank? Carson Drew. Got a minute?_ " the voice on the other end spoke in a clipped tone that ruined any hope at all this was a social call.

"Sure, Carson. What can I do for you?" he replied, steeling himself for the answer.

" _Other way around. I am calling to give you a heads up. Trial is over._ " He sounded tired. " _All I could get the DA to agree to was not ask for the death penalty. Sentencing phase is next month._ "

"Thanks, Carson. I appreciate you taking it on, I know how much you prefer championing for the truly innocent." Frank replied sincerely.

" _I just looked at it as the kids and Mrs Edmonds being the innocent ones. It helped._ " He replied. " _Give my best to the entire family._ " he said before hanging up.

Frank sighed deeply as he got into his car and drove the short distance to his brother's old farmhouse. Well, technically it was Halloran's but ever since he had moved in one Thanksgiving weekend Joe had added his own touch. He had taken one look at the huge backyard and declared there was no way he was mowing all that every summer, riding mower or not. So over the course of several months, working in his spare time and when the weather cooperated, he had built a fairly extensive deck off the kitchen's french doors to replace the tiny concrete patio. One corner held his smoker and grill. Over on the far end was a long bench that currently held his wife's vegetable garden pots. She had asked him to build her a more suitable stand but had not yet gotten around to it. Other plans included a pergola or arbor to lend some shade and the digging of a fire pit further out in the yard. Maybe a hot tub as well. And as usual, unless there was a blizzard or thunderstorm going on, his brother was out there, half dozing in the Adirondack chair with a half drunk beer at his side.

"Lazy bum. Your wife is in there slaving away and you are snoring out here." Frank chuckled affectionately.

"I got kicked out of the house I will have you know." Joe replied haughtily. "Apparently I vacuum wrong."

"How on earth does one vacuum wrong?!" Frank laughed as he settled into the other chair, his own beer already in hand as he snagged it on his way out of the kitchen.

"Beats me. Something about leaving treadmarks or some such nonsense. I am allowed to do dishes and fold laundry." he clinked his bottle with his brother's and took a swig. "So to what do I owe the honor of your company? Gloria kick you out?"

"Working Mid shift this month. The only time we see each other lately is in bed."

"Plenty of things to do in bed." Joe grinned wickedly.

"I agree. Sleep, read, watch the news," Frank deliberately refused to rise to the bait.

Joe just laughed. "Yeah you would think that was a worthy way to spend time. Someday she is going to give up on the romance thing."

Frank shifted uncomfortably and took another swig. "Yeah, about that. I will never admit this in public, but I kinda need your help on that front."

Joe raised one eyebrow very hight but otherwise remained silent.

Frank sighed and covered his nervousness by taking yet another sip of the beer. "I am going to regret asking, but, how did you propose to Halloran?"

Joe blinked. It was not a question he had expected. "Umm, I just, sorta.. did." he responded slowly. "I mean I had planned all these elaborate over the top stupidly romantic things, but in the end, I just took her the Thinking Spot and asked her. No fancy speeches, no candlelit supper, no soft music in the background. But I knew we had to be alone, with nothing and no one else to distract me."

"In case she said no?" Frank teased.

"There was no way in hell she was going to do that, Bro. If there had been, I never would have set myself up for failure." Joe's voice was serious. "and you know Gloria won't either. Which is why you are asking these questions." He looked at his brother over the top of the bottle. "I know you sometimes take longer to make a decision on something, but once you do, you move on it pretty quickly. So why has it taken so long? All kidding aside."

Frank shrugged. "To be honest, I am not sure. I mean, I love her. She's the best thing that has ever happened to me. But we each have such crazy hours that sometimes I think we don't actually know each other well enough yet."

"You have been living together how long?" Joe asked.

"6, 8 months maybe."

"And in that time you have seen all her bad habits, and she has seen yours, right?" Joe continued. "The fact that you are so tidy you put boot camp to shame doesn't drive her insane, right? And the fact that she is Vegetarian which means the only time you get dead cow flesh is at Mom and Dad's or here hasn't driven you bonkers, correct?" the rhetoric continued. "Or what about the bane of every cohabitation: the bathroom?!" he crossed his arms and raised an inquiring eyebrow.

Frank looked confused. "Bathroom? We each have our own. She has the one in the master bedroom, I use the other one."

Joe blinked. "Why didn't I think of that?!" he muttered to himself. "Look, what I am getting at is this. For the past 6 months or so you see her when she has bed head and hasn't shaved in 2 weeks. You go down to the kitchen and see how she stacks the plates on the counter for days at a time until they get stacked in the dishwasher. You KNOW to never ever _ever_ finish off the bottle of white without putting a new bottle in the fridge to chill." That got a look from Frank. "If you you don't know her well enough by now, you never will." he leaned back and scowled at his empty beer bottle.

"Yeah, but.." Frank started before being cut off with a waved hand.

"But nothing. She has seen you obsess over folding the bath towels a certain way. She knows that all the cans must be placed in the pantry with the label facing out and to buy the large box of brown sugar Pop Tarts if she wants any. She knows to never disturb you when you are frowning at the laptop and that you like white gravy with your fried chicken. If she hasn't had a hissy fit over any of your habits yet, it means she can live with them. And by extension, _you_." he shook his head at his elder sibling. "It's not rocket surgery. Just ask her already, dude."

"Any more sage wisdom, oh Expert Brother of Mine?" Frank asked sardonically.

"Yeah. Do it when you are alone. She doesn't want an audience. They don't want to share the moment with anything or anyone else." He stood up and grabbed both empty bottles. "Another one?"

"Nah, thanks anyway. I gotta get going." Frank also stood up and let his brother lead the way back into the kitchen, where he gave Halloran a peck on the cheek as he continued on out the front and out onto his car.

Now that he had finally made up his mind to just do it already, Frank found himself never actually having any opportunity to do so. Business picked up again at the Agency, and a sudden loss of one of the other nurses on staff had Gloria working double shifts 3 days a week. They were both exhausted pretty much every day and when they did have rare moments together it was usually spent falling asleep in front of the TV. His life became a blur of work and odd moments of domestic life scattered here and there. One day, he realized that he hadn't checked his phone in several days and upon opening it, found he had a plethora of voicemails, some robo calls, a few personal ones from friends, one from his mother berating him for skipping out on Sunday dinner without so much as a text message saying he wouldn't be there, and one from Carson. Sighing, he slid his finger over the 'listen' icon.

" _Hey Frank. Carson Drew again._ " The voice mail began. " _Just a heads up. Sentencing phase is over. Life, no parole. I was able to get them to agree to a medium security facility with a generous visitor policy._ " Static crackled through the earpiece. " _Edmonds should consider himself lucky._ " More static. " _Anyway, just thought you'd want to know. Keep in touch, and not just for work stuff._ " the message ended with a buzz. Welp, that was that. Over and done with. Or so he thought.

 **A/n:** _I am here to shatter any hopes people may have for a huge Callie Presence. In point of fact she is hardly in the story at all and plays a very minor role when she is. (Don't tell anybody but Joe is also relegated to recurring status as well)_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n:** _sorry for the delay my friends. I would like to say there was some big huge family emergency that had me in an ER but the truth is, we found black raspberry patches in the empty lots behind our house( our house_ _is surrounded by undeveloped lots ATM) and spent the evening picking berries. Also, Fire Ants are everywhere back there so we had to be very careful._

 **Chapter Three**

Several weeks went by, with the Agency wrapping up most of their cases, the Hospital hiring another pediatric oncology nurse and life generally slowing down. It had slowed so much, in fact,that he was able to answer Biff's plea to offer tutoring 2 nights a week at the Youth Center. Gloria had even offered to teach a basic First Aid course to the older teens so on a balmy Tuesday evening the two of them were in Frank's car headed that way. The small black velvet box was getting worn and grubby, so he was bound and determined that it was going to happen _tonight,_ come hell or high water.

As they pulled up, Frank had to marvel at the building. Once an old warehouse, it had been given new life as a Youth Center serving the entire community. Generous donations by the Frisk Mining Company and other notable Bayport entities enabled it to have been transformed. Several (in)famous graffiti artists did their community service by painting a huge, cheerful mural along the entire outside, and inside the once open space had been converted into several smaller areas. A nearby building, once the offices of some long defunct shipping company, had been converted into an all purpose Gym complete with bleachers. An aspiring Eagle Scout was doing his Community Service Project by constructing a sheltered walkway between the two to make the typical Bayport Winter less painful. Overall, it was a much needed refuge for pre teens and teens that offered recreational opportunities as well as assistance in other areas.

Biff Hooper, the Director of the Center and Joe's best friend growing up, met them at the door with a huge grin. "Hi Guys!" he exclaimed as he held the door open for them. "Just in time, the kids are about to riot." he pointed vaguely left and said to Gloria "Your gang, and I use that term deliberately, is over that way. They have been pounding on the dummy for half an hour already." Gloria thanked him and hefted her bag a little higher on her shoulder as she headed in that direction.

"You, my friend, get the new room!" Biff continued expansively. 'Room' wasn't quite the correct word to use, though. An attempt had been made to separate the area by constructing 2 six or seven foot high walls and butting them against existing walls. A wide doorway was in place, and Biff explained that as soon as the budget allowed, they would put an actual door in. "The High School Theater department tech kids put it up over the weekend for extra credit. Gonna ask the Waverly siblings to work their magic again." The brother and sister tag team graffiti artists had found themselves being offered art scholarships after their work on the outside walls that incorporated many Bayport Landmarks like the old Clock Tower.

As Biff walked through the doorway, he stepped aside and let Frank step in and behold his classroom. Three large meeting room tables had been set up, with 2 last generation PCs at each end and a refurbished printer in between. Hanging on the wall at the front was a large whiteboard, and at the back was an old school overhead projector. "Bit primitive, Biff." Frank grinned.

"What do you expect with a budget stretched so thin we can't afford to pay anybody but me?!" Biff laughed good naturedly. "So of course I bully, guilt and shame all my friends and their girlfriends into volunteering." he clapped his friend on the back. "I am sure you can compensate." Before leaving he turned to the 5 teens already seated. "Go easy on him, guys. He's new." He was whistling as he stepped out of the partition and left Frank standing there awkwardly.

He took in the figures before him. 3 boys, 2 girls, all looking about the same age. "Hi. So, uhh, I'm Frank." he began awkwardly. The two girls giggled and one of the boys looked him up and down with an appreciative leer. Thinking he may have gotten in over his head, he tried again. "Biff said there was a lot of interest in getting homework help." one of the boys shook their head.

"Nah, not so much with the homework, we all mostly got that covered. What we need is like, you know, Regents prep." This, Frank could handle. He dropped his backpack in a corner and grabbed the empty chair.

"Are you all taking the same one?" he asked.

The blond girl nodded. "Geometry. We all have B averages but suck at the test."

"Okay. Please tell me you have Internet..." at the nods, he flipped on the computer and was soon typing away accessing a few websites. In a matter of minutes he had printed out a short 20 question quiz and had everyone take it just to see where everyone stood. Twenty minutes later, he was deep into full on 'Teacher Mode' and he soon found a bunch of very bright students who just needed the grasp the finer points of taking the Regents test.

He found that he was enjoying himself immensely. Unlike certain other people (*koff *koff his baby brother) these teens were truly interested , inquisitive and inspired on the subject of Math. What was originally scheduled to be a 90 minute block of time turned into twice that. Gloria had peeked in, saw that her boyfriend was so engrossed with the Pythagorean Theorem he never even noticed, and silently pulled away, but not before snapping a quick and discreet picture on her cell phone.

Gloria decided to see if there was some other way she could keep herself occupied until Frank came up for air. Wandering aimlessly around the rest of the large open space, she came across 2 kids who were still wearing their jackets, despite the warmth in the well heated building. Siblings, by the look of them; a girl about 12 and a boy about 8 or 9. She hovered protectively over her brother as they gazed anxiously around. "Hey, Biff." she said, gently elbowing the former Football star. "What's with those two?"

He looked, then shrugged. "Dunno. Denise said their mom drops them off every day for about 2 hours and then a grandparent picks them up. Newbies, though, They definitely weren't here two weeks ago." He gave them a closer look. "Now that you mention it I don't think I have ever seen them involved in any activity, not even the reading corner." He headed towards the pair. Gloria followed.

Upon their approach, the girl warily stepped back a single step, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Hi, Kids." Biff said affably. "I'm Biff, I run this madhouse. Are you settling in okay? Need a tour?" the younger boy stuffed a slightly grubby fist in his mouth while the older sister shook her head. Neither spoke. repeated attempts to get any sort of response met with utter silence, so Biff finally gave up. "Well, if you need anything, or just want to talk, come and find any one of us, okay?" he walked away, hand on Gloria's elbow as she frowned and showed no sign of leaving. A few steps later he whispered. "Let them come to you. Sometimes this place is a refuge, not a hangout." he glanced back. "Unless, in your professional opinion we are looking at abused kids?" he questioned.

Gloria shook her head. "No they don't have that look. Clothes are clean, if shabby. I'd say something happened and their circumstances were vastly downgraded recently."

Biff nodded. "It happens, more often than people realize. Somebody loses a job, or gets sick or some major financial hit takes it's toll." he looked again at the two kids, and this time the girl caught him, ducking her head and moving out of his line of sight. "Maybe I need to wait for them to be picked up and make inquiries."

"Aren't you afraid that won't go over well?" Gloria asked. "We are constantly being told to mind our own beeswax at work unless abuse is obvious."

"Well, yeah, some parents take offense at any perceived criticism of their parenting skills, but a lot are just happy to know they are just like every other parent: overwhelmed." He shrugged. "Often they just need to know that they aren't alone." He glanced again at the kids, who were now sitting on one of the shabby couches that took up space in the main area. "We can steer Mom and Dad to resources like a food pantry or job hunting."

"And how do you afford all this on no money?" Gloria laughed.

"It's called Networking." Biff laughed right along with her. "You know a guy who knows a guy who can hook you up with a Guy."

"You sound like Joe."

"I shall take that as a compliment."

Gloria laughed at that and headed back over to the computer room in the hopes of dragging her boyfriend out of there. She was bound and determined to get him to take her out to her favorite restaurant tonight come hell or high water. She paused at the doorway, leaning against it with her arms folded and a slight smile on her face as she watched Frank animatedly wax poetic about Math.

Despite herself, Gloria became so absorbed in watching Frank she never registered the commotion going on behind her. It wasn't until something large and heavy crashed to the floor did anyone in the room register the disturbance. Frank stopped mid sentence while the teens all jumped in their seats. She turned around and peered out of the doorway as Frank came up beside her. "What was that?" he asked quietly.

"Dunno." she responded equally as quietly. Since the doorway was open, they both peered out and observed Biff running towards the reading corner where Frank could just see what looked like an overturned bookcase. He assumed it was just an accident and went back to the front of the room. Gloria took the empty seat and smiled at her boyfriend's obvious passion about teaching. Despite herself she fell into an absorbed trance just watching and listening to him discuss a subject she had barely passed in high school herself and had no love for whatsoever. If anything she was falling more in love with him as he stood there getting the kids more and more excited as they suddenly grasped a concept in a new way or realized that their upcoming Regents test was not as scary as first imagined.

Eventually, though he realized that he really needed to wrap up the tutoring session, so he turned off the projector and told the kids that he'd see them on Thursday. That led to one of the boys asking him about his other job, that of Private Detective and soon he was regaling them with the 'truth' about some of the stories Joe had been telling. This went on for at least another 20 minutes before another disturbance outside their little cubby intruded. This time, Frank frowned as he stood up, thinking that this didn't sound like a minor thing. He told everyone to stay put as he sidled out of the doorway heading towards the voices that were steadily getting more strident and angry.

Of course everyone then crowded around the doorway and watch Frank as he strode purposely towards the small knot of adults. Spotting Biff, looking very tense, Frank spoke , raising his voice to be heard over the angry shouting of someone whose back was to him. "Biff, everything oka..."

He choked off the last word as the man whirled suddenly at the voice behind him. In so doing, the small gun he had been holding went off, the bullet landing square in Frank Hardy's stomach. Frank stood there a second, shock on his features as he looked down at the rapidly spreading red stain around his midsection before collapsing to the floor.

 **A/n:** _yes, my cliffhanging skills are intact._ **** _T_ _here has been some concern raised about the severity of Callie's husband's sentence. Rest assured, all will become clear in subsequent chapters. Think William H. Macy's character in Fargo. sort of._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n:** _e_ _veryone will be happy to know that we have collected_ _more berries and will soon have enough for Pie._ _Yes I will be inviting Dean. ye this is very short, but I figured having to wait over the weekend was enough cruelty._

 **Chapter Four**

Gloria sprang into action, her professional training taking over and overriding any panic that threatened to spill out at the sight of her beloved bleeding out. She was on her knees next to him in an instant, even as one of the boys from the tutoring session did the same. "Go back and grab my bag." she snapped, eyes only on the wound as she gently tried to pry Frank's hands away to get a look. The teen scrambled to stand up but slipped back down as one of the girls joined them with the bag.

Frank's eyes were scrunched shut and his breathing was very labored. "Honey?" Gloria asked. "Are you with me?" Frank only nodded, not trusting himself to speak through the pain. In seconds, she had instructed the boy across from her to put steady pressure on the wound with the bandage unearthed from the bag. The girl nudged her silently, holding out a small bottle and a syringe. A quick glance and Gloria shook her head. "Not that. The fentanyl." The girl rummaged through and in a few seconds produced the correct bottle. Gloria leaned in and cupped Frank's face into her hands. "Frank? Look at me." she demanded gently. With obvious effort, he opened his eyes. The Nurse smiled at him. "Are you allergic to fentanyl?"

Frank shook his head and with effort whispered "Don't think so."

Gloria then nodded at the girl, who handed the small bottle over. Gloria quickly drew a small dosage and jabbed the through the fabric of the shirt and into his upper arm. "You let me know if you start having trouble breathing."

In spite of himself, Frank chuckled. "Bit late for that, actually." he closed his eyes again.

"Tommy called 911." the girl spoke then. Gloria nodded to acknowledge but concentrated on examining the still heavily bleeding hole in Frank's gut.

Meanwhile, Biff and two other adults who had been standing on front of a small group of terrified kids made to rush the man with the gun but as soon as he had pulled the trigger he turned back around and raised the gun on them Biff skidded to a stop and held up a hand to hold everyone else back as well.

"Bring me my kids right now, dammit!" the very angry man snarled.

"Not gonna happen." Biff responded flatly. Outwardly he gave no sign he was nervous other then quick glances over to where his friend lay on the floor being hovered over.

Completely ignoring the scene being played out just a few feet from her, Gloria sucked in air through her teeth as she got a closer look at the damage. "That bad?" Frank tried to joke, failing miserably as a prodding of his stomach caused him to nearly pass out in pain.

"I've seen worse." she tried to reassure him.

"You are a worse liar than Joe is." Frank tried levity to take his mind off things. "Which reminds me, I owe him an apology."

"How so?" Gloria asked as she expertly took the bandage scissors and cut away the remnants of the shirt.

"Getting shot really _does_ hurt." he winced as the soaked bandage was gently peeled away before being replaced with a new one.

"I can't give you any more fentanyl." She frowned as she tried to stem the bleeding, silently thanking her stars that the two teens with her were remaining calm and making it easier for her to take stock.

He reached up and weakly squeezed her hand. "I'm good for now." but even that small act drained him and he limply dropped his hand. "Won't turn down a nice ambulance ride though."

With impeccable timing, the shrill sound of a siren was heard getting louder and louder until it stopped just outside. The harsh red and yellow flashers cast eerie shadows inside the Youth Center. Gloria breathed a huge sigh of relief as she had reached the limits of her training and supplies.

One of the adults standing near Biff made to go to the door and meet the paramedics, when the agitated man swung the gun around, pointed it directly at her and told her to freeze. Everyone stopped breathing as tensions rose even higher. The paramedics came in the door, only to have the man fire off a round in their direction, causing more than one person to scream in terror. And not just the kids. The paramedics, as they are trained to do, immediately reversed course and exited the building.

Gloria's heart constricted as she knew that Frank needed surgery immediately and any delay could be catastrophic. She looked up, caught Biff's eye and silently pleaded with him to do something. Biff nodded slightly, looking grim.

 **A/n:** _I have no witty comments to make. Things are not looking so great for our Hero, are they?!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n:** _again I must apologize for the delay. Yes, there were more berries and this time he went way the heck out there.. directly behind the house is TWO stretches of undeveloped lots, all of which have many wild plants that taunt my husband( he grew with the same thing behind his boyhood home and his mother tasked him and his many sisters with collecting enough for not only pie, but several jars of jam.) Also, Good news/Bad news. Bad news first: this is the last chapter that is ready to see the light of day. Good news: while tomorrow is the weekly: Get Cara out of the house she is stuck in while her husband earns enough money for Cara to buy entire shows on DVD(finishing up Charmed this week), Sunday Cara is being thrown over in favor of Golf and Monday she has graciously given her husband tickets to the Styx concert as an early Birthday present. so while I may not actually post another chapter until Tuesday, I am hoping to get at least 2 ready to go._

 **Chapter Five**

Tammy Spears had been a paramedic exactly 8 days and was on her third 12 hour shift when the call came to transport a gunshot wound from the Bayport Youth Center. Her partner Brian Andrews was a ten year veteran who cheerfully told her to hop in to the ambulance before flicking switches and pulling out of the garage. It was a short 7 minute drive to the Youth Center and Brian expertly pulled along the curb and parked the back of the rig to line up with the handicapped curb cut. Working together they gathered equipment and the gurney and began wheeling everything to the front door. Brian had barely gotten all the way inside when the door jamb a foot below his head exploded into splinters as a bullet slammed into it. Startled, he immediately pushed backwards, causing Tammy to stumble.

"Get back in the rig, _now._ " he snarled. They left all the equipment on the sidewalk as they ran to the rig and slammed shut the doors,locking them. Pale and shaky, he thumbed the radio. "Dispatch, we have shots fired at the Youth Center. Send Law Enforcement." after receiving the acknowledgement, he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

"Now what?" Tammy asked shakily.

"We wait until the cops get here and neutralize the shooter. If we are lucky, they will negotiate permission for us to go in there and treat the patient." he looked at her. "Are you up for that?" he asked seriously.

Swallowing nervously, she only nodded.

Three minutes later, Greg Herndon and his partner showed up, lights and sirens blasting. They got out of their cruiser and approached the ambulance. Brian rolled down the window. "whadda we got, Bri?" Greg asked.

"Not sure. Think it's just one guy with a weapon. One down."

Greg sighed as he took stock of the number of cars in the lot. He stopped short at the sight of one particular one. "Of course" he muttered disgustedly.

"What?" Brian asked.

Greg jerked his chin in the direction of the car as he pulled out his cell phone. "That's Frank Hardy's car." he shook his head as he began typing. "So let's get the inside scoop ."

Inside, Gloria was focused on her patient when the teenager nudged her. "Ma'am?" he whispered. "His cell is buzzing." he handed it over while shielding the act from the man with the gun who was still glowering and telling everyone to stay put.

"If it's Joe don't say a word." Frank ground out between waves of nausea.

Gloria frowned at the request but gasped a little as she read the text message. "It's not Joe. It's Greg."

"Tell him _not_ to call Joe!" Frank tried to sit up in alarm but was firmly pushed back down.

Gloria did not reply as she surreptitiously began texting back.

Officer Greg Herndon swore very loudly and very creatively as he received the response. " I swear, I am going to have a heart attack before I am 40." he started viciously typing a response back. "And it will be a Hardy who causes it." a second message blinged through, and he laughed at it. "Yeah, like I am so stupid as to do _that"_ as he finished his response and hit  send. "Paul? Whaddya got?" he raised his voice and addressed is partner who had moved over to the door and was peering in from the side so as not to present a target in the middle of the glass.

Paul left his position and trotted over. He always looked grim, but currently was a little grimmer. "Gloria is on there, working on him. Can't get a good look at the gunman, but looks to be alone."

"Well that's something, I suppose." Greg muttered. He turned back to the paramedics. "Stay put. As soon as we take care of the Perp, you'll need to get in there fast. GSW to the abdomen. Luckily for Hardy's sake his Girlfriend is a Nurse who has a full bag." at Brian's nod, Greg's attention was back on his partner. "Think we will get lucky and the back door will be unlocked?" Paul shrugged before moving around the building towards the back entrance.

The back of the building had a door that led from the Center's kitchen to the alley which held the oversized garbage and recycling containers. And thankfully it was slightly ajar. Paul drew his weapon and very slowly eased the door open just wide enough to slip in. The kitchen was empty but a noise in the pantry made him approach that door with caution. Raising the gun, he gently kicked it open, causing the two pre teen girls in there to shriek in fear. Paul quickly stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and told the girls to quiet down. He moved the weapon so that it wasn't directly aimed at them but he still kept it ready. "Anyone else in here?" he asked quietly.

Both girls frantically shook their heads. Paul then eased the door back open, peeked out, and once satisfied it was safe, told the girls to go outside through the back door and to go the front of the building. When one of the two protested, complaining that her book bag and iPhone were out in the main room, Paul witheringly told her to do as she was told and she could get her stupid iPhone later. Blushing in shame, she meekly did as she was told.

Once he was sure they were both gone, Paul eased out of the kitchen and took up a position along the wall where he could just see the man who was still waving his gun at Biff, demanding that his kids be brought to him. He settled in, waiting for the perfect moment when he could take a shot without unduly putting anyone else in danger. To an outsider, it took forever, but to the veteran Police Officer, time had no meaning, although it was of the essence. From his vantage point he could only see Gloria's back as she hovered over the prone figure on the floor.

Eventually though, Paul saw his window and raised his weapon, training it on the shoulder of the arm that was holding the weapon. Focusing carefully he began squeezing the trigger.

 **A/n:** _'Brian Andrews' is my brother. and yes this actually has happened to him on more than one occasion, up to and including having to handle a rookie during an incident. Usually, though, his calls are of the 'sad lonely old person who wants conversation' and 'too cheap to call a cab to go to the ER for the flu" variety. oh and at least one exploding Turkey Fryer on Thanksgiving. the record is 4._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n:** _You are probably sick of my excuses. and sicker of my not updating as scheduled. Without boring you to tears, suffice it to say that the mouse and the trackpad on my mac have been conspiring against me. as a result, for the last three days I have not been able to do_ _anything. It's possible that Mr Caranath has fixed the issue( temporarily or otherwise) but I make no promises. alas she's over 6 years old and I just cannot swing a new laptop currently. Gutters and fences for new homes are expensive( and a requirement by the HOA). But hey, the pie was FANTASTIC( if a tad bit runny. who knew blackberries/black raspberries were so freaking juicy?!) I dedicate this chapter to my fellow Writer Zenfrodo. Hope you are home soon!_

 **Chapter Six**

" _ **Daddy!**_ " The sudden screech startled Paul enough that he lost his aim and had to abort. Good thing, too, since a small missile threw itself at the man with the gun. Although he staggered under the tackle, he never lost his grip on the pistol so none of the adults made a move to disarm him, worried about the little boy now clinging very tightly to his father's leg.

Biff's eyes narrowed as he recognized the boy from his earlier conversation with Gloria. He glanced around and found the older sister hanging back, but clearly wanting to join her brother. It was then that he noticed Officer Stoddard and his throat constricted.

Gloria and her two teenaged assistants were oblivious to everything around them. Frank had succumbed to the pain and was unconscious, and they were frantically trying to stem the blood. He had definitely gone into shock and his heartbeat was erratic, causing Gloria even more worry and threatened to become panic in about a minute flat.

The boy's father had recovered and with one arm, lifted his son to his waist. "Rebecca!" he snarled in the direction of the older girl. "Get over here, right now!" but Rebecca shook her head and ran behind Biff, who placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder without once taking his eyes off the girl's father.

"She doesn't want to go with you, and I am not about to make her. So why don't you do the smart thing, put the boy down and let the Paramedics in for my friend."

"No fucking way. I came here to get my kids and I am not leaving without them!" The man was so incensed he threw spittle into the air.

Paul took this opportunity to come out of hiding and while he aimed it at the father, the gun's safety was back on, although it could be released in half a second if necessary. He had already planned on going for a knee if it came to that. "Let's all try and stay calm here, okay." he spoke in a quiet but firm voice. "My name is Paul. What's yours?"

The man had whirled around at the sound of Paul's voice and nearly lost his composure when he saw the uniform, but held steady to both his son in one arm, and the gun in the other hand. "I ain't telling you jack."

"Well, Jack, that does make it more difficult to solve this little problem, don't you think?" Paul asked reasonably as he took small steps closer to the knot of people huddled over Frank. He dropped down to one knee next to Gloria, who by now had tears silently streaming down her face. She turned to the police officer with a look of despair. Keeping the gun hand with a clear line of fire, he checked for a pulse with the other. He closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped the tiniest little bit. Looking up at Gloria, he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Hang in there," he whispered softly.

He stood up and took a few more steps closer to 'Jack' but stopped as soon as the man shifted his hold on the boy so that his own son became a human shield. "This is not going to end well, you do realize that, right?" He continued as he stepped even closer, slowly but precisely. "You don't want the child hurt, do you?"

"If he does get hurt, it will be your fault." the man snarled. Turning towards Biff and his daughter, he once again angrily ordered her to come to him. She only shook her head, grabbing Biff's hand with both of her own. With a disgusted snort, 'Jack' started towards the font door. "Don't even think about stopping me, Cop!"

Paul got on his radio and hastily warned Greg to stay back. "He's coming out, with a kid as hostage." He then stepped back and allowed the man to pass by him, making no attempt to stop the escape. If Greg could get a clear shot, he'd take the man down. But only if he could do so without endangering the boy.

Less than 30 seconds later, Brian and Tammy rushed in with a gurney and all their equipment piled on top. Without apology or finesse, the two paramedics shoved Gloria and the two teenagers out of the way and began assessing Frank. In less than a minute they had pulled out the portable defibrillator and shocked Frank's heart once, and then a second time.

 **A/n:** _I really hate to do this to_ _everybody, but I lost three days worth of writing and editing. it is extremely unlikely I will be able to post again tomorrow. I am aiming for Friday. if not, then you are gonna have to hang on until Sunday earliest. but I PROMISE that it will be well worth the wait._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n:** _If the gods are smiling, Zen should be released from the hospital today. I did not have to chuck my mac out the window after all, despite a setback with the_ _mouse and trackpad. and even though I went to the movies over the weekend( Jungle Book! go see it!) I did 'catch up' mostly. 2.5 chapters in the can._

 **Chapter Seven**

"I got a pulse" Brian yelled triumphantly after what seemed like to forever to everyone in the room. There was a collective cheer from the entire group. In seconds, Frank had been lifted onto the gurney and was whisked off to the back of the ambulance. Gloria climbed into the back with Tammy after having given a death glare to Greg who wanted her to stay behind and be interviewed. There was no sign of 'Jack' or his son.

"You better call Joe." she did say as she settled herself on to the bench. Greg returned his own death glare before shutting the back doors and banging on them in a signal it was safe to drive away. He turned around and walked toward his partner who was standing there with Biff and a pre teen girl. Biff was hovering protectively over the girl, who was still refusing to answer any questions put to her or even speak.

"Honey, I know you are upset but we really need to know what's going on." he heard Biff saying to her as he walked up. Greg looked inquiringly at Paul.

Paul shrugged. "All I got is her name is Rebecca and she's apparently the daughter of our friend. Can't even get a last name, let alone her brother's name or the father's." he looked past his partner towards the squad car and raised an eyebrow slightly when he realized the back seat was empty. Greg returned the shrug but said nothing.

"Mr Hooper?" Greg said as he turned to the Center's Director. Biff did his own shrugging. He patted the girl on the shoulder as he stepped away to converse in relative privacy.

"Don't know what to say. Today was the first time I had seen the kids, although a couple of the other counselors have said they have been showing up for about a week. They get picked up by an adult so I guess we just have to wait."

"So you don't know the guy?" Greg asked in disappointment.

"Never saw him before in my life. And none of the others have either." He looked back at the girl, who was standing there next to Paul nervously chewing on a strand of hair. "Gloria and I tried to get both of them to talk earlier, but nada." Turning back, he spoke again. "I can tell Joe if you like. I know you have other stuff that needs taking care of."

"I'd appreciate it. I expect to be here a while anyway and the longer it takes for him to find out, the bigger the eruption." Greg gratefully accepted the offer.

"If you don't need me to stick around, I'll go over to his house right away, then." Greg gave his approval, saying he could get Biff's statement later. Biff took off at a trot towards his truck,

Greg and Paul spent the next 45 minutes or so taking statements and reassuring parents who had been coming by to pick up their kids that everything was under control and they could take their children home. Finally, someone came in looking for Rebecca and her brother. One of the counselors still there brought a tired looking blond over to the Policemen.

"Officer?" the young man said as he approached. "This is the Mother." he handed her over and stepped away, although his curiosity kept him looking back over his shoulder.

"Ma'am, I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it appears as if we have a Kidnapping here. Your son left with his father who had come in here with a gun and threatened the facility." she had gone even paler at this announcement and started to wilt, so Greg immediately brought her over to a couch to sit down before she fell down. "I am really sorry to have to do this but we need some information. What is your name?"

"Callie. Callie Shaw Edmonds." she looked around. "Did he take Rebecca too?!"

"No Ma'am. Rebecca is with one of the counselors. She refused to go when your husband?" he queried and at her nod continued. "ordered her to join him. Witnesses say your son, however, ran to his father without prompting. What is his name?"

"My son goes by his middle name mostly, Todd. My husband's name is Louis Edmonds." Greg frowned at hearing the name, it sounded vaguely familiar to him. "Is this a custody dispute?"

Callie gave a short bitter laugh. "Not exactly. My husband was recently convicted of several crimes, including federal fraud, vehicular manslaughter and some others. He was sentenced to life. Two weeks ago I visited him at the prison and told him I was not going to let the children ever see him, not even if they asked." Her smile was also bitter. "He didn't take it well, especially when I followed that up with serving him divorce papers." She tuned bloodshot eyes to the officer. "I wanted a clean break. I told him I wanted nothing more to do with him."

"What Prison?" Greg asked, notebook out.

"Otisville." she replied.

"Where are you staying?" Greg continued the questioning even as he spotted the daughter heading towards them.

"At my parents' house." Callie gave the address.

" Someone will be sent over to do some checking and probably install equipment on the phones in case your husband calls. But Ma'am, do you think your son is in immediate danger?"

"If this had happened six months ago, I would have said no way at all. Louis is..was.. a great father. He never gave any indication he was capable of things he has done recently." she held out her arms as Rebecca approached and held her tightly. "Can we go now?" she pleaded. "I should let my parents know what's happened."

"Of course. But I should also tell you your husband shot someone today." Callie gasped in alarm and she shakily asked who. "A man by the name of Frank Hardy. He's badly hurt" Greg was stunned when she let out a little scream and fainted dead away.

 **A/n:** _and the irony of this is, Louis has no idea he shot the guy personally responsible for his conviction. Hop ei am forgiven for the extra long gap between chapters and I hope this one isn't too short..._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n:** _Alas, the gods did not see fit to smile upon Zenfrodo. she had a set back, so everyone please keep her in your thoughts. for those of you who complained about the lack of Main characters, here ya go:_

 **Chapter Eight**

Gloria clutched tightly to Frank's jacket as she tried to stay out of the way of the young paramedic fussing over the patient. She wadded it up, thinking to shove it behind her back, when she felt something hard in one pocket. Frowning in puzzlement, she fiddled with the jacket until she was able to find the pocket and pulled out a small, velvet covered box. "Don't open that." the voice was faint and raspy. She jumped, nearly dropping the box on the floor of the ambulance which was making its' way through traffic, lights and sirens blasting. Frank was looking at her blearily through barely open eyes.

Gloria leaned over and gently smoothed a stray lock of brown hair away from his eyes. "Quit scaring me like that." she admonished gently.

"Sorry. I promise to not do it again." his voice was soft and pain filled.

"I almost believe you. Now hush, and rest. We're nearly to the Hospital." Gloria leaned in and placed the gentlest of kisses on his forehead. A minute later they were pulling on to the ER entrance, and they were met by two interns who ordered the patient immediately into triage. Less than 5 minutes later, he was whisked upstairs to surgery, leaving Gloria in the unusual position of being on the outside waiting. She had the presence of mind to stop by her ward to let them know she was _not_ in any shape to work that evening before making her way to the waiting room to begin her vigil. She was dozing fitfully when Joe came rushing in, Biff following closely behind.

"Gloria." His voice was taught with worry and he looked about to explode. She stood and allowed herself to be comforted by his embrace, finally letting go of all the emotion over the last couple of hours and breaking down in tears. The outburst deflated Joe's temper enough that he simply held her a few minutes before quietly asking for an update. "Biff told me what happened. How is he?"

"H-his heart stopped." her voice shook. Joe's fingers tightened on her upper arms at that news but otherwise he gave no sign of emotion. "They got him back and he was conscious for a minute in the ambulance but when they brought him in to surgery he didn't look so good. He lost a lot of blood."

Joe maneuvered her back into a chair and sat next to her. They gratefully accepted Biff's offer to get some coffee as they each settled in to wait until the surgery was over. He placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his. "I'm glad you were there. You probably saved his life." Gloria shrugged even as she sniffed through the tears.

Biff returned with coffee and a couple of sandwiches and made both of them eat. "I told Herndon I'd meet him here to get my statement. He also wants you to stick around, Gloria, so he can take yours. He's on his way." She nodded between bites of Tuna Salad. Joe stood up and joined Biff across the room and spoke quietly to him.

"What the hell happened, man?" he asked, glancing over at Gloria who had again closed her eyes in exhaustion. Biff shrugged helplessly.

"No idea. This guy came in, started waving a pistol around and demanding that his kids come with him. Frank must have heard the commotion and came out to see what was going on. The guy must have been startled or something because the gun went off as he turned around to face Frank. It was probably sheer dumb luck he was the one who got hit."

"I'm the one with the dumb luck, not him." Joe said bitterly.

"He's as stubborn as you are. He'll be fine. Do your parents know?"

Joe shook his head. "They are in the City for the weekend. Dad got tickets to Allegiance and he sprung for a nice hotel and reservations at some swanky place they used to eat at when he was a cop out there. The show is tonight so their phones are off. I left a message with the hotel front desk to call me immediately. Dad will know something's wrong."

They were interrupted by the arrival of the two police officers. "Any news?" Greg asked soberly as he approached the men, while Paul walked towards Gloria and quietly asked if he could ask her for her version of events.

Joe shook his head. "Nothing yet." He crossed his arms and generally glared as he listened to Biff's recounting of the events earlier in the day. As far as he could guess from the telling, Frank was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was about ask Greg what happened to the gunman and the boy when the large double doors leading into the surgical ward opened and a tired looking surgeon came out and approached them. Gloria stood up and they joined the surgeon at the same time.

"I'm Dr. Ross. Are you Frank Hardy's family?" he asked in a pleasant voice.

Joe nodded. "I'm his brother. This is his girlfriend" as he indicated Gloria, "And the rest are all close family friends." He cocked his head. "How is he?"

"He's hanging in there. He did lose massive amounts of blood so we will continue transfusing him for some time. I repaired the damage to his colon and intestines. His diet is going to be very boring for some months. But on the whole I think he'll be just fine."

Everyone let out sighs of relief and Joe grinned as he shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks, Doc. Can we see him?"

"In about an hour once he gets out of recovery. The Nurse will come and find you." with another handshake he left the relieved family and friends to return to his patients. The two police officers took their leave as they needed to follow up and organize the statements they had taken. Gloria and Joe each sat down again, but this time with much less worry.

"Joe," She asked, suddenly remembering something. "Do you know what this is?" and she pulled out the little velvet box and held it out. Joe's lips twitched and a curious glint came to his eye but he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Where did you find it?" he asked, trying very hard to keep the grin that threatened to come out from showing.

"It was in Frank's jacket pocket. He told me not to open it." now that the danger was past, Gloria's curiosity was running rampant. She had her suspicions, but was a little afraid to voice it.

"Well, it would be in very poor taste to disregard the wishes of the invalid, now wouldn't it?" Joe said urbanely as he leaned back with a self satisfied smirk. Now that he knew his brother would live, the jokes started up again.

"Oh, you." Gloria spat, exasperated. "Is this what I think it is?!" she demanded

"I dunno. What do you think it is?!" came the innocent reply.

Her sputtering was interrupted by another figure entering the waiting area.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" Joe cried out, somewhat angrily, as he stood up and crossed the room swiftly to tower over the newcomer, who shrank before him. Before she could answer, however, the nurse came in and announced that Frank could have visitors, but only one at a time. "Why don't you go on in, Glo. Maybe Frank will tell you what's in the box." never taking his eyes off the person standing before him, he continued speaking to her. "Callie and I have things we need to discuss. Don't we?!" the gaze was baleful and Callie seemed to wilt even further underneath blue eyes that were hard as agates. Gloria stood and somewhat confused, followed the nurse past the double doors.

 **A/n:** _ _Poor Callie._ you can tell I never really liked her, can't you? _


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n:** _Yeah. Zen is still in the hospital. supposedly getting yet another surgery. she pops on rarely on FB. so again I dedicate a chapter to her, for reasons I am sure you will understand. when she gets back she can tell me how wrong I got it heheheh. in other news, I have a new magic mouse. no batteries, just a rechargeable USB cord. it is giving me fits, but_ _sporadic ones. so it's safe to assume that I probably need a new mac altogether. that will take a few months. In fact I will probably declare it this years combo anniversary/Christmas/Birthday as they all fall within 4 months of each other._

 **Chapter Nine**

The surgical ward was always hushed, with the staff seemingly tip toeing around as if to avoid doing anything that would cause a machine to start screeching. It was very different than her own usual haunt, the Pediatric Oncology ward (which tried a little too hard she sometimes thought) that was full of bright colors, cheerful faces and a frenetic gaiety as if to repress all reminders of the cancer ravaging small bodies.

Gloria had a nodding acquaintance with the nurses behind the desk, who let her proceed unhindered to Frank's room. With clinical detachment, she took his chart from it's rack and brought it with her as she entered. She took stock of his vital signs, the amount of blood he had already be given and the orders for further transfusions and pain meds. She made a mental note to discuss which antibiotics to use if it should become necessary.

The heart monitor chirped in a nice encouragingly steady beat and the numbers on the machine itself lifted a weight from her heart that she had not even realized was there. Frank was still asleep but he appeared to be resting comfortably. She resisted the urge to lift the blanket and examine the surgical site for herself. For the first time she understood why it was highly frowned upon to work on friends and family. Instead, she brought the single hard plastic chair closer to the bed and settled herself in to wait until either Frank woke up or Joe came in to swap places. She pulled out the little velvet covered box again and stared hard at it. There was no indication of where it came from, although the velvet was worn and shiny in a few spots. She fiddled with it, twisting it around and shaking it but no sound gave any indication of the contents. She came close to flipping it open several times but the tiniest change in background noise made her startle in guilt and she'd shamefacedly pull a hand away.

"I told you not to open that." She barely heard the whisper from the bed. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead.

"I didn't. Promise." she assured him "How do you feel? Any pain, discomfort?"

"Lucky." Frank was groggy but mostly lucid.

"Lucky?!" Gloria responded, shocked. "You got shot!"

"You were there to save me. So I feel lucky." he smiled at her and stretched his hand out as far as the IV line would let him. She quickly grasped it and held on tight. Frank shifted a little, trying to find a more comfortable position. "So, what's the verdict?"

"You should wait for the doctor."

"Why? You are already here, and can explain it in layman's terms. So, how am I?" he demanded.

Gloria sighed before reaching for his chart. "More good news than bad. Looks like the bullet bounced around a little and you lost a foot or so of small intestine." she saw the frown on his face at that news and quickly patted his hand. "You have more than enough to spare, it will not be an issue at all in a few months once your body reorganizes. You may have to adjust your diet a little, but nothing major." he settled back, mollified. "As long as no infection sets in, you are looking at maybe 6 weeks recovery time."

"So not fair." came an amused voce at the door. Joe was leaning against the doorway with a big smile on his face at the sight of his awake brother. "I get shot, and it's a year in a wheelchair. _You_ , on the other hand, will not only have 24/7 coddling in the form of your girlfriend, but for only a lousy 6 weeks?!" Joe stood straight and walked further into the room. "And maybe a few weeks of a liquid diet. You could stand to lose a couple of pounds anyway, Bro." he winked at Gloria, who was on the verge of protesting the way Joe made light of the situation. The smile became a little more reserved as he grasped his brother's hand and squeezed it tightly in silent concern. "Glad you are okay."

Gloria stood up, knowing that in another second or three a nurse would be in to shoo one of them out. As she moved away from beside, she laid a hand on Joe's arm. "He needs to rest so don't annoy him too much."

"Who, me?!" Joe batted his long eyelashes above twinkling blue eyes in a too casual to be entirely innocent gesture.

"Yes, You." she retorted pertly and left the room.

Joe chuckled and shook his head ruefully as he dropped down in the chair and regarded his brother. "Only you."

"Only me what?" Frank asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Only you could turn a nice innocent trip to the Youth Center into a full blown crisis."

"It's a gift. I probably got it from you." Frank retorted a bit waspishly.

Joe laughed out loud. "You probably did at that. I wondered if I had passed that particular torch on." he leaned back and crossed his arms. "So, Big Brother, Just how exactly _did_ you manage to get shot in probably the safest spot in all of Bayport, anyway?"

Frank shrugged as much as he was able to with IV lines and other restrictive items in his way. "I heard a commotion, went to see, and next thing I knew, I was on the ground hurting like hell. Oh, that reminds me, I owe you an apology." Joe raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Getting shot does hurt after all. Sorry I ever doubted you."

Joe harrumphed but the laugh lines around his eyes told a different story. "Vindicated, finally, after all these years." the smile left his face and he grew serious. "Know who did it?"

Frank shook his head. "Never got a look at him. He still out there?" his eyes widened at the implication.

"Oh this is too ironic for words. Your assailant is none other than Callie's Husband." despite his words there was no irony in the younger Hardy's voice.

Frank gaped, mouth open a good 15 seconds before closing it abruptly. " How can that be? I thought he was in jail?"

"Yeah. So did everybody, including Callie." Joe shrugged. "Far as Greg can gather from the info he has gotten so far, Edmonds managed to get himself smuggled out of Otisville 2 weeks ago and has been on the lam since. _Apparently_ it took the penitentiary almost 36 hours to even notice he was gone." Joe shook his head in disgust. He shifted, the hard plastic chair not the most comfortable thing in the world. "Callie came to the hospital and practically begged on her knees to see you." he looked steadily at his brother, who calmly returned the gaze. " I chucked her out on her ass, but not before she swore up one side and down the other that she had no idea, and is positive Edmonds does not have a clue who you are and that this was all just a tragic mistake." he laughed sourly. "She even went so far as to say this wasn't our typical case and that it's not a revenge thing."

Frank's eyes narrowed and he scowled. "But you don't believe it."

"Actually, I think I do. Between her blubbering and all the eyewitness statements, this really does look like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. No malicious intent on his part at all, your stomach just got in the way of his bullet." Frank tossed a plastic water pitcher at his brother's head for the comment. Joe easily dodged it and stood up. "That being said, this is not over. He got away, with one of his kids and I told Callie I'd help bring her son home safely." He leaned over and touched his forehead to his brother's. "Get some rest. I called the 'rents and told them it wasn't earth shattering and they can finish out their weekend. I'll take care of Edmonds."

"You don't need to do that, Joe!" Frank protested, but Joe stopped him short.

"Frank, the bastard walked into a room full of kids and started waving a gun around. He _shot_ you. He kidnapped his son. Even without the personal connection to all of this, I still would have been on the case." Joe's stance was daring Frank to challenge the decision. Frank knew it was useless to debate the point, so he just sighed and nodded.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Always." and he was out the door.

Frank saw very little of his brother for the next week. His parents came straight from the train station after their trip and scolded him gently for getting hurt. Gloria would sneak downstairs from her ward whenever she could and he had a steady stream of well wishers, including the kids from his tutoring session at the Youth Center. Greg and Paul stopped by a few times to both check up on him and ask him more questions as well as to inform him that heads were rolling at Otisville for the major Clusterf*ck. Seems that not only had Edmonds gotten out, but so did two others and when discovered the warden tried to cover it up, even going so far as to not inform family members, local authorities or prior victims.

He continued to progress, although the enforced bland diet was grating on his nerves. He already loathed oatmeal, and he was getting it every other day. Chet helped by smuggling in some french fries from Five Guys once, but he paid for it the next day. Then the biggest blizzard to hit Bayport in a hundred years kept him in the hospital for a few days after the Doctor had wanted to discharge him. Only a phone call from Joe saved his sanity as he was able to tease his brother mercilessly. Interestingly enough, Joe never offered any updates on his pursuit of Edmonds, and Frank never asked.

The little velvet box sat conspicuously on the little table that stood next to his bed the entire time. Laura had glanced at it, did a quick double take them smiled knowingly but said nothing. Joe had the annoying habit of idly picking it up and playing with it, tossing it around in his hand and even juggling it and a couple of cups once. Gloria would pointedly stare at it and clear her throat meaningfully. Frank ignored all of them. His plan to propose that night had thoroughly been destroyed and now he was at a loss as to how to fix it.

Finally, though, the day came when the doctor cleared him to be discharged, albeit with a very short list of items he was permitted to eat. He was dressed, and stuffing a few items into his backpack when a tentative knock came oat the door.

"C'mon in Biff. I'm just about ready." Frank called over his shoulder. Biff had offered to drive him home, so he was expecting his tall broad shouldered friend to come in. He was wrong. He turned around, hitching the backpack over one shoulder when he stopped short. "Callie." he said flatly, eyes narrowing.

 **A/n:** _As I am wrapping this up I realized that the secondary plot is being given short shrift. and I know some of you will want to see it, but as of right now I do_ _not have any plans to do so. this was always a Frank Centric story. and the secondary plot would have Joe being the Prime Character. besides that actual story behind how Frank got hurt was never the point, except to bring in some familiar faces so that I didn't have to invent too many new ones I also KNOW that I had several reviews for Chapter 8 but for some reason they have yet to appear on the reviews page. you know how I like to try and respond to each one and I typically do that from the review page. but I will go via the email notification next time so in case anyone felt unloved or ignored, rest assured that is not the case._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n:** _So. Heard from Zen. which is why you lucky peeps get a (albeit short short) chapter a day early. she is indeed still in the_ _hospital, and the docs are waiting to see if she does indeed need a third surgery. I have an address for her if anyone would like to send her some get well wishes. please PM me if you would like the information. and yes reviews are still FUBAR._

 **Chapter Ten**

Callie stood there, obviously very nervous and looking as if she were contemplating turning around and fleeing for her life. Frank stood there, showing no expression. Finally she spoke. "I wanted to come see you before, but Joe wouldn't let me."

"Since when do you let Joe dictate anything, especially when it comes to you and me?" Frank asked archly. "He's not my Keeper."

Callie flushed, embarrassed and ashamed. "I just wanted to say I was sorry." she finally blurted out in a rush.

"Sorry for what?" he asked, confused.

"For what happened to you." she refused to look him in the eye.

"Why should you be sorry? You didn't shoot me." Frank relented and went to her, forcing her chin up with one gentle finger. " _Nobody_ blames you. Not me, not even Joe. If anything, you are as much a victim as anyone is in the whole mess." he looked steadily at her, refusing to let her turn away. "Have they found your son yet?" he queried.

She shook her head, tears springing anew in her eyes. "I'm so worried I can hardly eat or sleep." she admitted. Frank took pity and brought her closer for a simple hug. Her arms reached up around him and she clung desperately to her ex for a long while and when she finally stepped back, her eyes shone with more than just tears. She tilted her head up and stood on her tiptoes, lips parted.

Biff's timely arrival interrupted what could have been a very awkward moment between two former lovers. "Ready to get out of this dump, Frank?" he asked gaily as he pretended not to see the couple in their embrace. Frank gathered himself and stepped back, forcing Callie to drop her arms.

"Absolutely. But I want to stop by Gloria's Ward first, let her know I am officially discharged." he gathered his back pack again and faced Callie. "I am sure Joe will find your son, so just be strong until then. I hope your life turns out better going forward, Callie. Goodbye." and he and Biff left, leaving Callie alone in the room, where she broke down in tears, remaining until an orderly came in to strip the bed and prepare it for the next patient.

Biff looked sideways at his friend as they waited for the elevator to reach their floor, and continued to remain silent for the ride up to the 9th floor. Frank eventually sighed. "Say it. You know you want to."

"Say what? Biff asked, feigning ignorance.

"Quit playing innocent. You are not half as good as Joe is at it and he sucks." Frank looked his friend in the eye, no shame or embarrassment. "She came, we hugged, we said our goodbyes. Anything Callie may have wished to happen was not going to, even if you hadn't walked in when you did. I moved on a long time ago and she needs to remember that she did to. Even if her happy ending isn't so happy." they arrived at the correct floor and the doors opened with a chime.

They found Gloria taking a short coffee break in the nurses' lounge. Biff wandered over to hang out with a few kids who were playing in the large common area, which was decked out like a daycare center. He somehow sensed that Frank wanted alone time with her.

"Hey, babe." he said softly as he leaned over her chair and kissed the top of her head. She looked up and smiled.

"Finally paroled, huh?" she asked as she reached up to stroke his face.

"Stupid blizzard." he muttered darkly. " I could have been avoiding oatmeal 2 days ago."

"Poor baby. I stocked the fridge, so you should be okay with what is in there. Just no greasy cooking." she offered him a slice of banana bread that was sitting on the table. "And nothing too acidic either."

"Yes, Mother" he laughed as he took a bite. Then he sat down, pulled out the little velvet box and pushed it towards her. Gloria just stared at it. "Open it." he prompted.

She just continued to look at it, alternating with blank stares directed at him. Frank blushed and lifted the top himself before pushing the open side closer. Nestled in the dark interior was a platinum ring set with a pair of .75 carat diamonds. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"I know this is not the most romantic place, or time or anything else most women envision this moment to be. But my original plan kinda fell apart when that gun went off. But if I do not do this right now, I am going to lose my nerve and never ask." he pulled it out and offered it to her left hand. She nodded, eyes brimming and extended her finger so that he could slip it on. They both stood up together and the embrace was quite tight indeed. The only reason they broke apart is one of Gloria's co workers came in and cleared her throat disapprovingly. Gloria broke away with a nervous laugh that was choked with tears. She hastily wiped her face with a napkin while Frank blushed a spectacular shade of crimson at being caught in the intimate moment. With a sniff, the older woman slipped past the two lovebirds and poured a cup of coffee into her travel mug before returning to the front desk but not before pointedly reminding Gloria that the nurses' lounge was for nurses only. She had barely gotten out of the doorway before both Frank and Gloria exploded into fits of laughter. He gave her one more quick kiss.

As he was leaving after having rescued Biff from underneath a pile of small children who had been climbing over the former football player, Gloria called out. "Frank!" she exclaimed, hurrying to join them. "You can do it properly later. I am off early tonight."

"Do what properly?" Biff asked.

"Propose." she lifted her left hand delightedly and wiggled her fingers in Biff's face, which broke out in a delighted grin. She turned to Frank and continue. "You never did actually ask me to marry you, you know."

Biff laughed. "You better do it right, Frank. Otherwise Joe will make good on his threat."

"What threat?!" both Gloria and Frank spoke simultaneously.

"Joe swore that if you didn't make an honest woman out of Gloria by the time you were discharged, he was going to propose to her for you just to get the ball rolling."

"He wouldn't?!" Gloria exclaimed, shocked.

"Have you _met_ his brother? Damn skippy he would." Biff laughed and turned to Frank. "You just saved yourself a lifetime of grief. Well done." he gave a quick hug to Gloria. "Congratulations." he whispered into her ear before leaving the floor with the newly engaged eldest son of Fenton Hardy.

A/N: _it's trite, I know but I figured that Callie would have wanted to revisit old times and even now she is still manipulative. she may not even realize it. However, Frank is ever the gentleman and would not lead her on nor allow himself to be distracted, especially given what he was about to do. so yes this is a short chapter but it contains two things that y'all have been clamoring about for months. of course this now means you will be waiting until next week for the last chapter or 2. and for those of you who will whine about it not being as squishy as Joe's proposal, never fear. next chapter he does it right. the last thing Frank wants is his brother co opting his love life._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n:** _and so we present the 'real' proposal. and then some..._

 **Chapter Eleven**

When Gloria got home a little after 8 that evening, she was greeted with the smell of garlic bread and spicy tomato sauce. Their small kitchen table was covered with her grandmother's antique lace table cloth, and in the center was their only glass vase, filled with a bunch of Algerion Irises and surrounded by votive candles flickering on the dimmed light. She pretended not to see the takeout boxes from Prito's as she accepted a kiss from her ( _Fiancee!_ ). Frank handed her a glass of Barbera before pulling out her chair and seating her. Dinner was Tony's mother's famous vegetable lasagna, full of eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and homemade ricotta cheese. They chatted casually, just enjoying the moment.

Dessert was cannoli and espresso. At the end, he reached out a hand to help Gloria stand. It happened to be her left, and instead of letting go when she stood, he brought it to his lips and bowed over it. "You'll forgive me if I don't get down on one knee. Still a little tender down there." he smiled at her, brown eyes expressive. "Gloria Jean Thompson, will you do me the honor of consenting to be my wife?"

"I thought you'd never ask." she responded, not entirely joking. "But there is no way I am giving back this ring so, Yes. Yes I will marry you."

Frank laughed in relief. "Thanks for giving me a second chance to do it right." They both leaned over and blew out the candles.

The next day they presented themselves to her parents in Florida via Skype and his parents in person. Everyone expressed great joy at the news. All Frank could do was leave a voice mail on his brother's phone, though. Joe was hot on the trail of Edmonds and was nowhere near Bayport. They played phone tag for nearly 2 weeks before Joe finally wrapped up the case and returned home. He knocked on the apartment door that his brother and new fiancee shared, but there was no answer. He then dialed his parents house as he headed to the car but again, there was no answer. In disgust, he then dialed his wife at work.

"Where is everybody?!" he whined into the phone.

" _What, did you expect people to pine away by their phones waiting for your triumphant return_?" Halloran laughed at him.

"Well, yeah, kinda." he pouted, but with a big grin on his face.

" _My husband, the Diva_." Joe could hear her shaking her head in mock despair over the phone. " _Dinner is at your parents' house at 6_. _Bring the wine_." she instructed him before saying goodbye.

Promptly at 6, Joe pulled in to their driveway, noting that everyone else was already there, including Frank's car. Ordinarily he'd just walk in, but today his arms were full and he leaned his hip on the doorbell and waited for the door to open.

"What the hell happened to your face?!" Frank asked in astonishment as he opened the door and immediately grabbed one of the bags out of his brother's arms.

"Todd Edmonds." Joe snorted disgustedly. "He _**really**_ did not want to come quietly or leave his daddy."

"A six year old gave you a black eye?!" Frank laughed.

"Actually he turned seven the day we caught up with them as he very loudly proclaimed the entire time." Joe now sported a sardonic smile. "The only way we could get him to shut up was to bring him to Toys R Us and buy him a birthday present and remind him that his Mommy had a bunch waiting for him at home." he dropped the bag of beer on the kitchen table and opened the fridge to start transferring bottles. " By the way, I will be submitting a bill to the Agency for reimbursement. Business expense to the tune of $65."

"What on earth did you get him?!"

"The Lego Marvel Avengers Tower. We had to talk him _down_ to that. He first demanded the Millennium Falcon. That's $150." Joe shook his head with a laugh as he popped open a beer for his brother before opening his own. As he handed it over, he suddenly stopped short and grabbed his brother's wrist in a steel grip.

"What the hell is _that_?!" he demanded in shock.

"It's called a wedding ring Joe." Frank smiled a little loopily. "Gloria and I eloped last weekend."

 **A/n:** _I had to do it._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n:** _and since I know you will all pitch fits about the shortness of the last chapter, I present to you the 12th and final chapter, which is even shorter. I probably should have called it an epilogue..._

 **Chapter Twelve**

Joe gaped at him so long the chime on the refrigerator door started making noise, reminding him to shut the door. "You got married." he said it flatly, even angrily.

Somewhat taken aback at the response, Frank's smile faltered. "Yeah."

"Without me." Frank had expected Joe to go into a long tirade of ever exaggerating 'woe is me' complaints that would grow more and more outlandish until everyone collapsed in laughter, but this display of blatant hostility he was unprepared for.

"Well, your participation wasn't exactly required, Joe." Frank tried very hard to not get angry or defensive back.

"Maybe I just wanted to be there to celebrate with you, like you were there for me." Joe sighed, showing the hurt he felt. He stepped around his brother and headed out the back door where he greeted his wife with a kiss.

The rest of the evening he was polite, pleasant and civil to everyone but his usual exuberance was glaringly lacking. Even his retelling of the story behind his eventual apprehension of Louis Edmonds and being able to return Todd to his mother was notably low key, with none of his usual exaggerations. He did, however, offer a very sincere welcome into the family to Gloria and began calling her Sis immediately. But he cut the evening very short, claiming exhaustion from the past couple of weeks of hard living and declaring he needed to get at least twelve straight hours of sleep. Frank stood as well, offering to walk him out. Joe just shrugged but didn't refuse the offer.

"How long do you plan on sulking?" Frank asked pointedly as they walked down the driveway together.

Joe stared at him before chuckling ruefully and ducking his head in embarrassment. "Give me a couple of days to get over myself." He stopped and leaned against the Impala. "Don't get me wrong, I _am_ thrilled for you. It was a long time coming and I adore Gloria to bits. I just kinda wanted to stand next to you and give you away is all. Symbolically cutting the umbilical cord that was attached between us for 30 years so to speak."

Frank considered that confession, before nodding in understanding. "You are right, maybe it was a bit selfish to elope. You should have heard Mom read us both the riot act." Joe laughed out loud at the comment. "Tell ya what. You can be in charge of the announcement party. We haven't really told anybody outside of family yet."

Joe brightened considerably at the offer. "You might regret that, Big Brother!" he said with an evil glint in his eye.

"I already do, Little Brother." Frank laughed as he opened his arms for a hug, which was enthusiastically and vigorously given. Having mostly made up, the night ended on a far brighter note than it had begun.

 **A/n:** _I felt that Joe's feelings would be massively hurt to come home and find that Frank went off and got married without him. but not in a sick pervetred co dependent way, but more in the way of: 'we had all these problems when I came back from the Navy and worked so damn hard to get our relationship back on track that I am shocked that you would go off and elope while I was hot on the trail of the bad guy that shot you.' he really is happy Frank has found true love but disappointed that he wasn't around to share in that life event. but he will get his revenge at the party, rest assured. I may or may not do a one shot telling that tale. Callie is not forever gone either. now that she is back in Bayport, she will pop up more frequently and probably cause problems for the newlyweds. Zen was_ _released from the hospital but ended up back in the ER once or twice. give her a few days to cuddle with her cats before bugging her to finish up her story..._


End file.
